President Trump associate Anthony Scaramucci said that a CNN story claiming he met with a Russian investor before Trump became president was "unfair" and "nonsense."

CNN has since backed away from the report that Scaramucci met with investors tied to the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

"That was not a 'meeting,' 'plan meeting,' 'strategic meeting,' anything like that. It was really an interaction with him in a restaurant," Scaramucci told "Fox & Friends" in his first interview since the dust-up with CNN.

"We're practicing the politics of personal destruction, as opposed to serving the American people," Scaramucci remarked.

"I also know in my heart and in my soul I haven't done anything wrong," he said.

In fact, all of the Russia collusion allegations are "a bunch of nonsense," he added.

The editorial standards of CNN and other news outlets need more checks and balances, and journalists should exercise more prudence, Scaramucci, who was recently appointed the new Chief Strategy Officer for the Export-Import Bank, said.

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